The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-27
nAlLY CorroN sTArrNENr.
mo MANS LAND. "
The Strange Case OF the Community In
the Southwest.


Washington Correspondence Ncw York Herald
Tho story which is sent YOU herewith *
ono Of the strinrcst that can be imagined,
and which no American can Rad without
pride in his countymCn, who, wherever
they go, know how 10 set up an orderly $50.
ciciy and maintain peace and the security
Of person and property.
There is \ tract OF land living south oi
Kansas and Colorado, and between the In
dian Territory and New Mexico, which has
been known for many years rs "No Man's
Land II has this name because by
crrors in surveys, by exclusions in acts Of
Congress, fixing boundaries and by general
ncglvC. and inadvcricnCc h lies outside 81
any organized State or Territory of the
United states. II il pally q "NO Mans
land,' for no courts have jurisdiction
within it, bounds; no laws extend over or
apply TO IT, lbs lands cannot bc owned, be
cause Congress has not authorized i,s sale.
mo Mans Land is simply a spot on the
map.
4 tolcrahly large spot, for It contains
3.GSl @G0 acres, Icing lG7 miles long by
81 wide. II is fertile, we'll watcicd, has
valuable deposits of coal, q fine climate,
tAi'Af NNNiAH NllllNNN VI kANNl NNllAlt 70 ENNAIlAH
g report SAYS that II has the nav
material Tor 5000 farms OF 100 acres each.
IL was for ycIN y hugo cattle run. IL
contains nj present 10000 American farm.
crs, who have sent one oi their number.
Mr.. q. G.. Chase, here ca ask Congress in
their name to give them a territorial GOV.
eminent, with the laws and protection Of
the Tag which thcy ap ~ totally and
slngularly without. They have agreed to
call their Territory Cimanon, from rs
principal river, and Il Congress is ~ Kind
10 them ~ their good conduct deserves,
the present winter will see established thc
Territory Of Cmarrun.
These 10000 Americans went into No
Mans land, knowing that the land they
settled on and cultivated they could get no
legal title 10 unless Congress would act for
their protection; knowing that no crime,
not even number, committed in No Mans
Land couldh I've punished, because no courts,
no law officers, IN laws, took cogniEnrc II
what was done I'm No Mans land. They
had mo- authority 10 form . government; no
power 90 levy taxes for the simplest 0r
most necessary purposes; no power to
make laws which any iuhahitant nccl
obey. Chaos was their enforced rpndi.
ton.
ACONHnNNEAITu.
Yet these 10000 have founded towns.
built school houses aud churches, aud are
supporting THESE. They have made the
few simple lcgi,lations required To main
tain peace and orlcr. and ''thc general
consent The goOd scnsc and christian
spirit which animate Americans have On.
ahlcd them to found q commonwealth
which continues 90 exist only by the wu.
eml s~uilrmncc, but which nov appeals.
and ought not Ia appeal To vain. 90 Con.
. grss 10 give 10 'hc shelter 81 Oh, Ialtrl
ktaics laws.
Mr. o. g. Chase. ihcdclcn'e tIeg have
ecnt herr 90 speak for them. a g,l t1.t
and intelligent man a typical American
an old Kansas settler. Ills Account "A
"Cimarron, - which follows. tell vhat 90
people Of No Mans Land have done a4I
What they hope iur from Congress.
Q-llow many people nns there 10 he
Territory oi Gmarronl About I'm
thousand, estimated.
O Mostly Americans A-Th,r b
an unusual proportion 81 native born 90.
Icns ihcr; morc tia. In any territory
have ever been in.
Q.-ll0W long since they fui began n
s. in them 90 settle? A.-Nut exceeding
two years. A year npp there wcrr not
over iour or five hundred people there.
Q-Baior that was II c%utircly unin-
habiiel by cattle men. Two years AGO
mo-; 20 The stock WIS frozen out ho an
excessively cold winter.
now THr tiND IT mrrp.
@ In he two ycar- have your p.orl,
built housS Obuphcs and schools In b.,
American ia.higu' A.=Ouly within o.,
lat year There W,ru not p,nulr enough
there "a huill schools AMI churhcs u.s.,
years ago. The people aw nearly 40 farm
err Those living boz the towns own Land
and ar arranging to cultivate thc sam,
ncN'spnnE. When a farmer rlJ. iu th,p
with bis family and picks ont q piece 20
land be- takes leo acres.
q How luys De- know he has tskgi
leo arrvs2 A.-Thc Territory has lc,i
surveyed into townships. and irum .hr,
Cuucm We can stake uut the sections. VI
have several towns Beaver has 400 tso
pie opima, lUo, Mills City. h.iy. Clu.i-1
100 B,nion, fifty. and Boyd. Gity. Ihr-.
ar al the towns iu the Territory 1.Hr
T. only timber in the saud.liIls. which al
syrcis inf wood. Them is nothing urUhl
bly, that might bc called tulet strictly
We have no kaW.Wills nor rrist.miI's.
Q-Nhat do thc people d. Co. lil,
Simply sell their grain and sturkP A..
They have not been them long enough I
BELL anything. Not fity tanners WEI
there early enough last wear io u.-a cr.Iy
Hut wheat grows gNU,llpnily. and i.
crops Ol com are Ui.rl, and 90 i.a ff
country ior other %rprrals. such Hs uat
canary aud millct. Canary is a very pu.
c~rop-worlh more than wheat. u De- r,t
orally imported 90 this country, blt 81
raise II out there a~hundutlv.
Q-Ap the people living In houses
dugouts2 An good, log hon in a
country. I'm the towns the houses a
mostly frames.
q. .9f course nobody has ans rirlt
tho landi A.-Noihihg but d -luati
right
Q-And there y no Government.
A.-Only n provisional gp,ymmc'
known there ~ q Territorial counci, it
hardly q government. In NuVcmb
1886, we got mp q petition calling ior
mass meeting In Beaver a. take stops IT,,
Ing 10 the organization Of q council iur {
purpose Of beginning some shadow Of Z,
eminent, "a We were entirely without u
law. Tho result OF that mdss.mcoting "
an election called for February last ior I
selection of nine members Ia a coun,
three from each meridian district, 10 m,
IL Beaver on March L. We had no phi